Colorectal Cancer Treatment

If you’ve been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, we understand that it can be frightening. But know that colorectal cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. In fact, when detected early with a screening colonoscopy or another test, five-year survival rates are more than 90%.

Our all-in-one Keyserling Cancer Center and New River Cancer Center are home to some of the region’s leading colorectal cancer specialists. Together, your dedicated team—which may include board-certified gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, highly trained nurses, nutritionists and others—will work with you to create the best possible treatment plan.

We focus on caring for the whole you, with access to a full range of support services and your own nurse navigator and social worker to guide you throughout your journey.

Find a gastroenterologist online.

Types of Treatments We Offer

The type of treatment your doctor recommends depends largely on the size and stage of the cancer (early or advanced), as well as your overall health, your personal preferences and the treatment’s potential side effects. Our team will work with you to create a plan that you’re completely comfortable with, and focus on keeping you feeling well at every step.

Your personal treatment plan may include one or a combination of:

Surgery

Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer, especially in the early stages. Part of the healthy colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.

If the cancer is small and completely contained within a polyp, your doctor may be able to completely remove it during the screening colonoscopy. Other polyps may also be removed with a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure, using just a few small incisions in the abdomen.

If the cancer has grown into or through your colon, you may need a procedure called a colectomy or colon resection, in which the part of your colon that contains the cancer is removed, along with a margin of normal tissue on either side of the cancer.

Beaufort Memorial’s surgeons specialize in the latest laparoscopic techniques, including da Vinci® robotic colectomy, which offer less pain and scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.

Less often, some people need a temporary or permanent colostomy after surgery. This is a surgical opening through which the colon is connected to the abdominal surface to allow waste to exit the body. This waste is collected in a pouch worn by the patient.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (like X-rays) to shrink or kill cancer cells and help prevent recurrence of the disease. The rays can be directed at the part of the body where the cancer is located, and are commonly used to treat colorectal cancer because the tumor tends to recur near where it originally started. Radiation therapy can also be combined with chemotherapy to increase effectiveness.

Beaufort Memorial’s radiation oncologist frequently performs external-beam radiation therapy, which uses a state-of-the-art TruBeam linear accelerator to deliver highly powerful and precise treatment directly to the tumor, while minimizing side effects and exposure to healthy surrounding tissue. The treatment process is painless and safe, and most patients return to routine activities immediately after each treatment.

To discuss your radiation therapy options, contact us online, or call 843-522-7800 in Beaufort or 843-273-7980 in Okatie.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells with medicines delivered in varied cycles through either an IV or a pill. It may be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, to kill cancer cells that remain in the body after surgery or radiation or to treat tumors that have developed in other areas of the body. Chemotherapy for colorectal cancer is usually given after surgery if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, which may reduce the risk of a cancer recurrence. For advanced cancer that is no longer curable, chemo may be used to help shrink tumors and relieve symptoms.

Beaufort Memorial uses the latest, most effective medications that also help minimize the undesired effects of chemotherapy.

Targeted Therapy

Typically used for people with advanced colorectal cancer, targeted drug therapy works to block specific genes and proteins that allow cancer cells to grow, while limiting damage to healthy cells.

Immunotherapy

Some patients with advanced colorectal cancer may benefit from immunotherapy, which uses medicines to help a person’s own immune system find and destroy cancer cells.